ELDERLY patients are being “held prisoner” in hospitals in a bed-blocking system that gives cash for older people on wards, campaigners claim today[MON].

A scathing report says a “payment by results” system offers financial incentives for hospital trusts to keep patients in beds.

It means pensioners are receiving unnecessary hospital care, as the health service battles record admission numbers and a beds shortage.

The system is leading to elderly patients being put at risk, the report by older people’s campaigning charity Anchor and independent think-tank Localis found.

The problem stems from cuts to the social care budget, leading to a reduction in the support available for older people once they are out of hospital.

This means that they are kept on wards instead when they no longer need medical care, while hospital trusts take money for them from the local authority.

Anchor chief executive Jane Ashcroft said: “It is a disgrace that older people are effectively being held prisoner, trapped in hospital beds when they could be receiving more appropriate care elsewhere.

“It is older people who are suffering most from a lack of health and social care integration facing unnecessary admissions to hospital, experiencing lengthy discharge delays and poor standards of care.

“No matter how dedicated NHS staff are, they are constantly battling a system that is working against them.”

More than 100 senior health and local government figures were surveyed about the integration lack which is said to be failing care for the elderly and leading to bedblocking.

The majority said that the system was “effectively conditioned to put older people at risk”, with incentives to encourage bed blocking and keeping elderly people in hospital even if their needs would be better met elsewhere.

Although the study did not reveal the levels of incentives on offer, it said the cost of occupying a hospital bed was £1,600 a week.

It is a disgrace that older people are effectively being held prisoner, trapped in hospital beds when they could be receiving more appropriate care elsewhere

Jane Ashcroft, Anchor chief

The research, titled “Unblocking: Securing a health and social care system that protects older people”, also claims the NHS does not do enough to prevent avoidable injuries for the elderly.

One in ten of those aged 75 and over are admitted to hospital with potentially avoidable conditions, yet only 4 per cent of the NHS budget is spent on prevention.

Those interviewed were “firmly” of the view that a current ‘Payment by Results’ system offers a built-in incentive for hospital trusts to keep patients in hospital for longer than necessary.

The report finds that protection of budgets was the number one answer when participants were asked what was holding back integration of health and care services.

Paul Burstow MP, former care minister, said: “This report makes an important contribution to the debate about joined up care.

“If we are to break the log jam and ensure older people get the right care in the right place at the right time we need three things.

“We need a long-term funding commitment, we need a single pooled budget and we need a common purpose.

“Focusing on promoting people’s wellbeing so they can get on with their daily lives should unite the NHS, social care and housing in a shared endeavour.”

A new YouGov poll also reveals that almost four fifths of over 55s say bed blocking is the key issue politicians should be focussing on at the moment.

Anchor has been campaigning for the Government to appoint a Minister for Older People to represent the views of over-55s in Government.

Localis’ Chief Executive, Alex Thomson, who directed the research, said: “Our research highlights how entrenched the problems caused by lack of integration in our health and social care system are, and the knock-on effects on older people especially.”

Ms Ashcroft added: “We’ve heard the same rhetoric from political parties that integrating health and social care is vital but too little progress has been made.

“As the report recommends, a Minister for Older People could encourage more integration to benefit the older people of today and tomorrow.

“The few inspiring examples dotted around the country demonstrate it is achievable, and essential to avoid the kind of NHS crisis seen earlier this year.”

A spokesman for NHS England said: “This report is wrong to say hospitals are trying to keep patients in hospital longer than necessary, but right to argue for more coordinated and properly funded out of hospital health services and social care.”